Machine and method for collapsing springs in pockets



R. H. STEVENS 2,605,725 MACHINE AND METHOD FOR COLLAPSING SPRINGS m POCKETS Aug. 5, 1952 2 SHEETS-QSHEE'I 1 7 Filed June 25, 1948 mmvrox nellz Si-re:

Aug. 5, 1952 v 5 2,605,725

MACHINE AND METHOD FOR COLLAPSING SPRINGS IAN POCKETS Filed June 25, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 v INVENTOR.

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Patented Aug. 5, 1952 MACHINE AND METHOD FOR COLLAPSING SPRINGS IN POCKETS Robert H. Stevens, Detroit, Mich assignor to The Murray Corporation of America, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application June 25, 1948, Serial No. 35,155

This invention relates to a machine and meth od for collapsing a spring in a cloth pocket, and stitching closed the open end of the pocket while the spring is in a collapsed position therein.

In the manufacture of upholstered seats such as automobile seats, a cloth envelope is employed, which is divided into a plurality of pockets having one end thereof open'so that a coil spring can be inserted into each of said pockets. After the spring is inserted in'the pocket, the open end of the pocket is closed, such as by stitching, so that the spring will be completely confined within the pocket. In order to stitch the pocket, it is necessary to collapse the spring against the closed end thereof. The collapsing of the spring leaves the open end of the pocket free so that it can be stitched closed by a sewing machine or the like. At the present time, much difiiculty is being encountered in stitching closed the open end of the cloth pocket, as no satisfactory method or machine for collapsing the spring has been devised.

It is thus necessary for the operator of the sewing machine to manually collapse the springs, and this isa tedious and slow job which of course reflects in the price of the finished seat.

The principal object of this invention is to overcome the aforementioned difliculty by pro- Viding a machine Which automatically collapses a spring in a cloth pocket so thatthe open end of the pocket can easily be closed by stitching 1 It'isa further object of this invention to provide a novel machine of the aforementionedtype,

which will feed a cloth envelope therethrough,

collapse the spring in each pocket and stitch closed the open end of the pocket while the spring of the pocket, so that the wall of the cloth pocket will not be pinched between the coils of the spring and collapsed with the spring.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a machine of the aforementioned type which is relatively simple in operation, economical to manufacture and operate and which will efficiently perform the aforementioned functions.

11 Claims (01. 112-2) Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1, collapsing the springs and stitching the pockets of a cloth envelope;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a cloth envelope, showing a coil spring in a pocket thereof, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that a table 5 having supporting legs 1 and a flat top 9 supports a sewing machine I l adjacent the rear thereof, and a belt and pulley assembly [3, which-extends forwardly from adjacent the sew? ing machine. The outer longitudinal edge I5 of the table top 9 extends substantially straight and flat, while the inner longitudinal edge of the table is angularly out out at ll to permit an operator to stand or sit in close to the sewing machine, for reasons which will hereinafter appear. A belt and pulley assembly I9 and an electro-magnet 21 are disposed adjacent to the outer table edge l5, on supporting structure such as will now be described. The electro-magnet 2| is secured at its outer end to supporting legs 23 by bolts 25. A frame member 21 has one end thereof connected to the forwardmost of the legs 23 and extends forwardly therefrom parallel to the edge l5 of the table top 9. The opposite end of the frame member 21 is supported by a leg 29. A generally U-shaped frame member 3| has its outer end supported on the leg 29 and connected to thejadjacent end of the angle member 21, while its inner end is supported on a leg 33, which is disposed adiacent to the table top edge l5. A plate 35 is supported on the top of the'frame member 21 and U-shaped member 3! so as to provide supporting structure for the forward end of the belt and pulley assembly [9, The supporting structure for the magnet 21 and belt and pulley assembly [9 is secured to the table 5, byany suitable means, so that no relative movement between the table and supporting structure will occur.

The belt and pulley. assembly I 9, which is rec tangular in shape, includes front corner pulleys 31 and 39, which are supported on plate 35 by means of bracket plates 4! and 43; respectively,

. 3 of a U-shaped bracket 5|. Belt 53 extends around the pulleys and one or more of the pulleys may be driven in a conventional manner by an electric motor or the like for driving the belt.. Pulley 39 is adjustably supported on plate 35 by cap screws 55, which extend through slots 5! in bracket plate 43, and a screw .59 is threaolably supported on the plate 35, adjacent the inner end of bracket plate 43, for adjusting the pulley, so that the belt may be easily tightened or loosened. It will be noted that the portion of the belt between the front and rear pulleys 3'! and 45 e x* tends parallel and adjacent to the outer edge l5 of the table top 9.

The belt and pulley assembly 13 which is supported on the table top 9 includes a belt 6% which extends around a front pulley 6!, which is adjustably supported on the table top 9 bymeans of a bracket plate 63 and a cap screw 55, and a. rear pulley 69, which is supported on the table top by bracket plate l 1. One or both of the pulleys may be driven in a conventional manner for driving the belt. The forward pulley 6! is disposed adjacent the inner edge of the table top 9, while the rear pulley i9 is disposed adjacent to the outer table edge 15, just forwardly of the magnet 21. The belt 60 thus runs at an angle with respect to the longitudinal portion of the belt 53 of the belt and pulley assembly Ii). That is, the belt 69 converges rearwardly toward the inner longitudinal portion of belt 53, so that the distance between. the belts at the pulley 69 is relatively small for reasons which will hereinafter appear.

The electro-magnet 2 I, which is supported on the legs 23 is of any suitable type and is shown as including a pair of pole elements l3, surrounded by the housing 49, containing the coil. "Pole shoes 19 and SI are connected to the pole elements 13 by cap screws 83 and extend forwardly therefrom parallel to the table top edge I5, and 4 which is to be stitched by the machine of this invention, is divided into a plurality of pockets- 8?, each of which has a coil spring 89 therein. The inner edge 9! of each pocket is open in order to permit a spring to be inserted therein. One

end of the cloth envelope is positioned on the front end of the table top 9 between the divergent front ends of the belts 53 and 68. The belts longitudinally move the envelope 85, with the coil springs therein, rearwardly along-the table top. Due to the convergent relationship of the belts 53 and 6B, the coil springs 89 inthe envelope pockets 8'! will be gradually compressed as the envelope moves rearwardly along the table top. At the same time, the coil springs will be influenced toward their collapsed state by the pole shoes T9 and 8! of the electro-masnet 2!. The coil springs are thus gradually drawn towards their collapsed position, away from the open ends of the pockets by the pole shoes and the belts. This arrangement permits the springs to be gradually compressed instead of quickly pulled into their compressed position by the powerful electro-magnet 2|, so that the cloth pocket will not be pinched or otherwise caught by the spring and collapsed therewith. As the spring in each pocket moves past the belt pulley 69, in an almost fully collapsed position, it will be completely collapsed and held in its collapsed position by the electro-magnet 2|. With the spring in its collapsed position, the open inner end of the cloth envelope pocket 81 is free of the spring and can be fed by the operator, as the envelope is moved rearwardly by the belts, through the sewing machine ll, so as to stitch the pocket end closed, as illustrated in Fig. 2, in a relatively simple manner and without the operator having to manual- 1y compress thesp-ring. The spring and pocket will then move rearwardly beyond the sewing machine and out of the influence of the electromagnet 2| and the spring will return to its normal expanded position within the pocket Wherein it is confined. Thus, all of the pockets of the envelope are easily and efiiciently stitched closed. so as to retain the springs therein. It is to be understood that plastic material may be employed in place of the cloth material to form the plurality of pockets and that such cloth or fabric material may be secured together also by a suitable adhesive in place of the stitching.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for collapsing a metal spring in a cloth pocket and securing the latter closed at one end, including means for moving the cloth pocket and spring in a direction transversely of the axis of said spring, means for gradually drawing said spring towards its collapsed position, magnetic means for collapsing said spring and retaining it in its collapsed position, and means for securing the open edges of said cloth pocket together when said spring is in its collapsed position.

2. A device for collapsing a metal spring ina 'oloth pocket having an open end, including magnetic means for collapsing the spring in said pocket and retaining it in a, collapsed position, means disposed adjacent to said magnetic means for closing the open end of said pocket, and means for moving said cloth pocket and spring past said magnetic means and. closing means whereby the open end of said cloth pocket may be secured closed with said spring in its col lapsed position.

3. A device for collapsing a metal spring in a cloth pocket having an open end and stitching the open end closed, including magnetic means for collapsing the spring in said pocket, means disposed adjacent to said magnetic means for stitching the open end of said pocket closed, and means disposed ahead of said magnetic means for gradually drawing said spring towards its collapsed position as it approaches said magnetic means, whereby said pocket and spring may be moved past said magnetic means and said stitching means so that said stitching means can close the open end of said pocket when said spring is collapsed.

4. A device for collapsing a metal spring in a cloth'pocket having an open end and stitching the latter closed, including a magnet for collapsing the spring in said pocket, a sewing machine disposed opposite said magnet, means ahead of said magnet for gradually drawing said spring towards its collapsed position as it approaches said magnetic means, and means for moving said pocket and spring past said magnet and sewing machine so that said sewing machine can stitch closed the open end of said pocket while said spring is collapsed.

5. A device for collapsing a spring in a cloth pocket having one end thereof open and stitching the latter closed, including magnetic means for collapsing the spring in said pocket, stitching means opposite said magnetic means for stitching closed the open end of said pocket when said spring is collapsed, a pair of belt and pulley assemblies ahead of said magnetic means and extending angularly with respect to each other so as to be convergent towards said magnetic means, whereby to move the pocket and spring toward said magnetic means and gradually draw said spring toward its collapsed position prior to the collapsing of said spring by said magnetic means.

6. A device for collapsing a metal spring in a cloth pocket having one open end and stitching the latter closed, including magnetic means for collapsing the spring in said pocket, means for stitching closed the open end of said pocket when ,7

said spring is collapsed, and magnetic and mechanical means disposed ahead of said ma netic means for gradually drawing said spring towards its collapsed position, whereby said pocket and spring may be moved past said magnetic means and said stitching means so that said stitching means can close the open end of said pocket when said spring is collapsed.

'7. A device for collapsing a metal spring in a cloth pocket having'an open end and stitching the open end closed, including a magnet for collapsing the spring in said pocket, means disposed adjacent said magnetic means for stitching the open end of said pocket closed, and pole shoes connected to and extending forwardly from said magnet for gradually drawing said spring toward its collapsed position as it approaches said magnet,. whereby said pocket .and spring may be moved past the said magnet and said stitching means so that said stitching means can close the open end of said pocket when said spring is collapsed.

8. A device for collapsing a metal spring in a cloth pocket having an open end and stitching the open end closed, including magnetic means for collapsing the spring in said pocket, supporting structure for said magnetic means, a table connected to said magnetic means supporting structure, a sewing machine supported on said tableopposite said magnetic means for stitching the open end of said pocket closed when said spring is collapsed, a belt and pulley assembly adjacent the said table and supported on said magnetic means supporting structure, a second belt and pulley assembly supported on said table 6 and extending angularly with respect to said first belt and pulley assembly so that said belt and pulley assemblies are convergent toward said magnetic means, pole shoes connected to and extending forwardly from said magnetic means adjacent the said first belt and pulley assembly, whereby said belt and pulley assemblies will move the pocket and spring rearwardly along the table top toward said magnetic means and in co-operation with said pole shoes will gradually draw said spring toward its collapsed position as the spring approaches said magnetic means.

9. The method of collapsing a metal spring in a cloth pocket having an open end and stitching the latter closed, including the steps of moving the cloth pocket and spring transversely of the axis of said spring, gradually drawing said sprin towards a collapsed position in said pocket, collapsing said spring, and stitching the open end of said pocket closed when said spring is collapsed.

10. The method of collapsing a metal spring in a cloth pocket having an open end and stitching the latter closed, including the steps of moving the pocket and spring toward a magnet and sewing machine, gradually drawing the spring toward its collapsed position ahead of said magnet, magnetically collapsing the spring, and stitching the open end of the pocket closed when said spring is in itscoilapsed position.

11. The method of collapsing a metal spring in a cloth pocket having an open end and stitching the latter closed, including the steps of feeding the cloth pocket in a direction substantially parallel to the edge of said pocket to be stitched, gradually drawing said spring toward its collapsed position and away from the open end of said pocket, magnetically collapsing said spring in said pocket, and stitching closed the open end of said pocket when said spring is in its collapsed position.

ROBERT H. STEVENS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,064,512 Martini June 10, 1913 1,813,993 Gail July 14, 1931 1,854,486 Rogers Apr. 19, 1932 2,113,457 Zeier Apr. 5, 1938 

